Steering Committee for the Review of Government

Service Provision

Measuring outcomes

for

Indigenous Australia

ABS NatStats conference

20 November 2008

Robert Fitzgerald AMCommissioner

Productivity Commission

Steering Committee for the Review of Government

Service Provision

2

The power of data

Statistics are most powerful

when they not only tell what is

but drive us to do what should be done.

Steering Committee for the Review of Government

Service Provision

3

New COAG emphasis on accountability

Specific Purpose Payments- indigenous outcome indicators

COAG targets – closing the gap

COAG Working group on Indigenous Reform- Building blocks framework

Expenditure- on services to Indigenous Australians

PM’s Annual Report to Parliament

Steering Committee for the Review of Government

Service Provision

4

COAG targets

Close the life expectancy gap within a generation Halve gap in mortality rates for children under five within a

decade Halve gaps in reading, writing & numeracy within a decade All four year olds in remote communities access to early

childhood education within five years At least halve the gap for students in year 12 attainment or

equivalent by 2020 Halve the gap in employment outcomes within a decade

Steering Committee for the Review of Government

Service Provision

5

A national integrated reporting framework

To reach the targets, we need information on: High level outcomes:

Are we making progress towards the targets? Expenditure on services:

Can expenditure be linked to outcomes? Program effectiveness:

What contribution do programs/services make to achieving outcomes?

Steering Committee for the Review of Government

Service Provision

6

How does the OID fit in?

Overcoming Indigenous Disadvantage: Key Indicators Commissioned by all governments in Australia Reports every 2 years Intergovernmental steering committee & working group Indicators that :

are relevant to governments are relevant to Indigenous stakeholders demonstrate the collective impact of programs and

policies

Steering Committee for the Review of Government

Service Provision

7

‘Not just another report’

A strategic framework

An agent for change and implementation tool

An nationally agreed basis for measuring progress

A two yearly report card on progress Imbedded into state and territory frameworks

Steering Committee for the Review of Government

Service Provision

8

A preventive model:multiple causes – education

Substance abuse

Education and training Literacy and numeracy Attendance

Early child development Hearing impediments

Safe & supportive communities etc...

Year 10/12 attainment Tertiary attainment

Steering Committee for the Review of Government

Service Provision

9

Healthy lives

Safe & supportive communities Alcohol, tobacco & substance use & harm

Early child development Infant mortality; Birthweight Injury & preventable disease

Healthy homes

Life expectancyDisability

Chronic disease

Primary health care; mental health

A preventive model:multiple causes – health

Steering Committee for the Review of Government

Service Provision

10

Health

Domestic violence

School attendanceand performance

Substance abuse

Overcrowding in housing

A preventive model:multiple effects – overcrowding

Steering Committee for the Review of Government

Service Provision

11

Health

Employment

Imprisonment

Domestic violence

Alcohol consumption and harm

A preventive model:multiple effects – alcohol

Steering Committee for the Review of Government

Service Provision

12

Proposed ‘aligned’ framework

Tier 1

Tier 2

COAG targets added to Headline Indicators

WGIR Building Blocks aligned with

OID Strategic areas

Improved wealth creation and economic sustainability for individuals, families and

communities

Positive child development and prevention of violence,

crime and self-harm

Safe, healthy and supportive family environments with strong communities and

cultural identity

Early child development

Education and training

Healthy livesHome

environmentEconomic

participation

Safe and supportive

communities

Governance and

leadership

- Infant mortality - Disability and chronic disease- Life expectancy - Post secondary education- Early childhood education - Household and individual income- Reading, writing & numeracy - Substantiated child abuse & neglect- Year 12 attainment - Family and community violence- Employment - Imprisonment & juvenile detention

COAG Targets Headline indicators&

Steering Committee for the Review of Government

Service Provision

13

The priority outcomes are unchanged

Steering Committee for the Review of Government

Service Provision

14

COAG targets added to headline indicators

COAG TARGETS

Infant mortality

Life expectancy

Early childhood education

Reading, writing & numeracy

Year 12 attainment

Employment

HEADLINE INDICATORS

Disability & chronic disease

Household & individual income

Substantiated child abuse & neglect

Post secondary education

Family and community violence

Imprisonment & juvenile detention

&

Steering Committee for the Review of Government

Service Provision

15

WGIR Building Blocks aligned with OID strategic areas for action

COAG targets & Headline indicators

Strategic change indicators include:• OID indicators• WGIR indicators• SPP Indigenous indicators

Education&

training

Healthylives

Economicparticipation

Earlychild

development

Governance&

leadership

Safe andsupportive

communities

Homeenvironment

Steering Committee for the Review of Government

Service Provision

16

Indicator criteria

Relevance to priority outcomes

Movements in strategic change indicators influence headline indicators

Meaningful to stakeholders including the Indigenous community

Sensitive to policy interventions

Supported by strong logic or empirical evidence

Unambiguous and clear in meaning and interpretation

Existence or ease of developing data sets

Steering Committee for the Review of Government

Service Provision

17

Potential new indicators for 2009 OID

Maternal health

Maternal age at first birth

Basic skills for life and learning

Teacher quality

Obesity and nutrition

Income support

Steering Committee for the Review of Government

Service Provision

18

Areas for development

Areas of the framework identified for development: economic participation and development justice outcomes substance use and misuse social and emotional wellbeing and mental health governace cultural indicators

Steering Committee for the Review of Government

Service Provision

19

Data issues Improving existing collections

Births and deaths Hospitals Medicare School enrolment

Addressing immediate gaps Crime victims and perpetrators Improved regional data

Longer term Addressing barriers to self-identification

Steering Committee for the Review of Government

Service Provision

20

Statistics can’t measure everything

‘Things that work’

Case studies of successful programs

Demonstrate that change is possible

Communities and agencies can learn from each other

‘Success factors’ can be identified

Steering Committee for the Review of Government

Service Provision

21

Success factors in ‘things that work’:

Cooperative approaches

‘Bottom-up’ community involvement

Ongoing support

Good governance Including in Government as well as

communities and organisations

Steering Committee for the Review of Government

Service Provision

22

Measuring matters

Measuring outcomes matters but only if the data/indicators are respected by and are relevant to all stakeholders

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders deserve a more strategic, evidence based approach with their input respected.

Knowing more about what is will achieve little if we don’t put in place the means to effectively interpret, evaluate and respond.